National Classifications

Bermuda Classification of all Economic Activity(BCEA)

Name of the current national classification (full name in official national languages and in English with acronyms in brackets, should be given)

Bermuda Classification of all Economic Activity Rev.1 (BCEA Rev.1)

1 (b)

In which language(s) is the classification available?

English

1 (c)

Can the classification (or information about it) be accessed on the Internet? If yes, please provide the URL.

The classification is not accessible by Internet.

Classification structure

2 (a)

Please describe the structure of the classification: How many levels does the classification have? (Please provide labels, such as “Division”, “Class”) How many categories exist at each level?

The classification is modelled on the United Nations International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) Rev 3.1 and is split into, Industrial Sections, Divisions, Groups, Classes and Product Groups.

Is this classification based on (or linked to) an international standard classification? If yes, please describe.

Yes, ISIC Rev3.1. BCEA adopts the broad concepts and principles of ISIC and, for the most part, maintains its structure, nomenclature and industrial sequence.

3 (b)

Is the classification structure identical to the international standard or, if not, how does it differ? (e.g. have additional levels been added to the international standard or have changes been made within the level of the international structure, such as aggregations or additional breakdowns)

The structure is not identical. BCEA has industrial sections which are numbered as opposed to alphabetized resulting in a 5-digit code at the class level compared to the ISIC 4-digit code at the same level. BCEA shows its correspondence with ISIC mainly at the class level, but in some cases correspondence is shown at the ISIC group or division level. BCEA compresses, highlights or expands some areas of ISIC, depending on the actual or potential significance of particular industrial groupings to the economy of Bermuda. For example, Bermuda has neither the capacity nor potential to develop petroleum or grain milling industries. In cases such as these, BCEA does not omit the activity altogether but equates ISIC divisions or groups with BCEA classes. In terms of additional breakdowns, BCEA includes a section for international business activity (section 15) which has no direct counterpart in ISIC.

3 (c)

Please describe deviations from the international standard (in terms of structure, methodology or application rules). Please use examples, if a general statement is not possible.

International Business: There is no direct counterpart in ISIC but this is a significant part of the Bermuda economy and was separated for analytical purposes.

Hotels and Restaurants: Classes were created in the hotels and restaurants section so as to emphasize its economic importance.

Public vs Private enterprises: ISIC classes were expanded to distinguish between private sector and public sector enterprise-type activity, e.g., water transport (08121 and 08122), and sewage and refuse disposal (14101 and 14102). Similarly, BCEA broadens the scope of ISIC to differentiate government activities in education, health and social work, from comparable activities in the private sector.

Section

Division

Group

Class

Product Group

ISIC Rev 3.1

Letter

2 digit

3 digit

4 digit

BCEA Rev1

Number

3 digit

4 digit

5 digit

6 digit

3 (d)

At what level of the international standard can data be reported for international comparison? (Please provide examples of programmes / indicators if reporting takes place at different levels of the classification.)

Data can be reported at the class level where applicable.

3 (e)

If no links to international classifications exist or no international standard is used, please state if there are plans to use international norms in the future.

Not applicable.

Classification uses

4 (a)

Please state for which statistical purposes (surveys etc.) this classification is used and if there are users outside of the Statistical Office. Please indicate at which level the classification is used for data collection and for data publishing.

The classification is used for measuring economic activity in Bermuda using an Economic Activity Survey. It is also used as a cross reference when compiling data on employment by industry collected on the Employment Survey. Outside of the Statistical Office, the classification is used by tax officials and customs officials; however the tax officials are using an earlier version of the classification. For data collection the classification is used at the class level. For publishing, the classification is used at the section level with provisions made for the supply of the data (by request) at disaggregated levels as long as the confidentiality of survey respondents is maintained.

4 (b)

Please give the names of institutions that use the classification for non-statistical purposes (as opposed to statistical purposes in question 4(a)). Also indicate the kind of use (e.g. tax offices, social security, customs, enterprise register, employment services, work permits etc.)

The classification is used by customs officials to compile trade data by industry and by tax officials to classify payroll tax collected by industry. Tax officials also use the descriptions to ascertain which companies qualify for tax exemptions according to their principal business activity.

4 (c)

Please indicate if alternative classifications are used by other institutions of the economy. Are these classifications available and useful for the Statistical Office?

No other alternative classifications exist.

Implementation / revision status

5 (a)

Please state the date of the official adoption of the classification. If not yet adopted, please indicate the current state (e.g. in development, sent for approval, in printing, ready to be distributed etc.)

December 2003

5 (b)

Please state the date of use of the classification for individual statistical programmes.

2004

5 (c)

Are there existing plans for revision or update of the current classification?

Links have been made between BCEA Rev.1 and ISIC Rev.4. These links have been incorporated into our statistical databases to allow for the production of data using both classifications.

5 (d)

Name of former (previous) national classification (full name in both national tongue and in English with acronyms in brackets, should be given)

Bermuda Classification of all Economic Activity (BCEA) was set up in 1998 and modelled on the third revision of the United Nations International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC Rev.3)

5 (e)

Please describe the link of the former classification to international classifications

The link followed the same nomenclature as exists now whereby BCEA Sections were assigned numerical codes as opposed to letter codes; ISIC’s 2-digit Division codes represented 3-digit codes in BCEA etc. Please see box below.

Section

Division

Group

Class

Product Group

ISIC Rev 3.1

Letter

2 digit

3 digit

4 digit

BCEA Rev1

Number

3 digit

4 digit

5 digit

6 digit

5 (f)

Please describe the structure of the former classification and indicate the number of items at each level of the classification. (similar to question 2(a))

The classification was modelled on the United Nations International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) Rev 3 and was split into the same sections, divisions, gropus and classes as outlined in question 2(a).

5 (g)

Do conversion tables exist between the former and current classification?

Yes.

5 (h)

When was the former classification implemented?

1998

5 (i)

Are statistical data still collected or published according to the former classification? Please indicate if this statistical data is collected or published by the Statistical Office or elsewhere.

No.

Supporting documents

6 (a)

Have national explanatory notes and/or guidelines been elaborated?

Guidance notes are available on the differences between the structure of the BCEA Rev3.1 and ISIC Rev 3.1. No explanatory notes are available on the sections, divisions, classes and groups. A general reference is made in the BCEA Rev3.1 coding manual to consult the ISIC Rev3.1 manual for definitions on the type and scope of individual activities.

6 (b)

Do correspondence tables exist between the national and the international classifications (if applicable)?

Yes.

6 (c)

Are correspondence tables between alternative and current classification available (if applicable)?

Not applicable.

6 (d)

Does a national coding index exist?

Yes.

6 (e)

Is the classification available in electronic form? If yes, in which formats is it available?(e.g. PDF, TXT, Excel, XML)

Available in Excel.

6 (f)

Are the correspondence tables or indexes available in electronic form?

Available in Excel.

Contact information

7 (a)

Name of institution / office responsible for the development and maintenance of the classification

Bermuda Government Department of Statistics - Economics and National Accounts Division

7 (b)

Contact address, phone number, e-mail or website for public information and inquiry

www.statistics.gov.bm

Other comments

9 (a)

Please provide any other information on this classification that you consider relevant